Apparatus for treating tubular fabrics

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics, including a frame and support means on the frame having pairs of opposed driven rollers spaced apart in a common plane, and a pair of rings held against the driven rollers wherein the rings are within the tubular fabric. Each ring pivotally mounts a leading arm and a trailing arm for engaging the inside of the fabric and advancing it in a flattened condition from a twisted, and sometimes furled, condition.

United States Patent 1 Aronoff [451 May 13,1975

1 1 APPARATUS FOR TREATING TUBULAR FABRICS [76] Inventor: Edward I. Aronolf, 605 Dorais St.,

Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada 22 Filed: Dec. 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 422,011

[52] U.S. Cl 26/55 R [51] Int. Cl. D06c 5/00 [58] Field of Search 26/55 R, 55 C, 56

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 964.088 7 7/1910 Chatfield 26/55 R 1,139,612 5/1915 Weis 26/55 R 2,590,938 4/1952 Cohn et a1. 26/55 R 2,623,263 12/1952 Dung1er..... 26/55 R 2,623,264 12/1952 Dunglerrm. 26/55 R 2,680,279 6/1954 Hamilton 26/55 R.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Germany .f. 26/55 R United Kingdom 26/55 R United Kingdom 26/55 R Primary ExaminerRobert Mackey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Mitchell; Alan Swabey [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics, including a frame and support means on the frame having pairs of opposed driven rollers spaced apart in a common plane, and a pair of rings held against the driven rollers wherein the rings are within the tubular fabric. Each ring pivotally mounts a leading arm and a trailing arm for engaging the inside of the fabric and advancing it in a flattened condition from a twisted, and sometimes furled, condition.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIED MAY 1 3:975 3,882

sum 1 or 3 PATENTEB HM I 3 IEWS SHEET 2 BF 3 APPARATUS FOR TREATING TUBULAR FABRICS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION treatment by converting it into an unravelled flattened tube.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the dyeing and finishing of tubular knitted fabrics, the process is a combination of continuous steps and batch steps. For instance, there are now apparatii for continuous dyeing and scouring tubular knitted fabrics at high speeds and relatively less time. However, after the tubular fabric has been finally scoured, it is in a wet, twisted, elongated rope state. Before the tubular fabric can be further treated, i.e., dried, resin treated, or shrunk longitudinally to regain its original loop shape, it must be untwisted, unravelled, and advanced in a substantially flat unwrinkled state.

Heretofore, an apparatus such as described in U.S..

Pat. No. 2,110,520, Cunnius, has been used to so prepare the fabric. The device described in the patent includes a floating frame adapted to be within the tube. The floating frame includes a stem with a leading wheel on the end for engaging the inside of the tubular fabric, and a pair of resiliently mounted arms on the stem which diverge rearwardly from the leading wheel to unfurl the fabric. The stem mounts a pair of rollers at its trailing end which is nested between a pair of drive rollers outside the tubular fabric. The apparatus according to the Cunnius patent is widely used today. However, this type of apparatus operates very slowly and manpower assistance is continually required. The slowness of the operation is a particular disadvantage since other preceding and succeeding steps of the process have been improved whereby the speed at which the fabric is treated exceeds considerably the speed at which the tubular fabric can be untwisted and unravelled by the Cunnius type of apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for untwisting and unravelling tubular fabric.

It is also an aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus wherein the amount of manpower assistance may be reduced and the speed at which the fabric may be converted is greatly increased.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes a frame, support means on said frame including at least a pair of opposed driven rollers spaced apart in a common plane. A pair of rings are provided between the driven rollers as well as means holding said rings in opposed relationship in the plane against the driven rollers. The holding means includes running means adapted to allow the rings to rotate about their respective centers, upon rotation of said drive rollers. Each ring includes a leading arm and a trailing arm extending therefrom and adapted to pivot in the plane relative to the center of the ring and engage the inner surface of said tubular fabric.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, it will now be referred to in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention therein, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged bottom plan view of a detail of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, there is illustrated in the present embodiment a frame 10 including four upstanding legs and horizontally extending beams at the top of the legs. A sub-frame 12 is mounted on the frame 10. The apparatus for unfurling and untwisting the tubular fabric is represented by the numeral 14 and is mounted laterally of the sub-frame 12. Adjustable squeeze rolls 16 are provided on the top of the sub-frame 12 and extend laterally thereof with the nip of the squeeze rolls in the same plane as the plane of the device 14.

Referring to the device 14 which is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2 through 5, basically the device includes rings 20 and 22 which are held apart within the tubular fabric F. These rings are described, for instance, in British Pat. No. 690,283. In the present invention, the ring system of the above-mentioned patent has been considerably modified and improved in order to convert and handle fabrics F which are in rope form after scouring and which are supplied normally in barrel-shaped containers 18.

Rings 20 and 22 are held respectively against drive rollers 24a, 26a and drive rollers 24b, 26b. The drive rollers 24a, 26a are fixedly mounted to stub shafts 28a and 30a while the drive rollers 24b and 26b are fixedly mounted to stub shafts 28b and 30b. The stub shafts 28a and 30a, 28b and 3012, are journalled within gear boxes 32 and 34.

The pair of gear boxes 32 and 34 are mounted for sliding movement on guide rods 38 and 40. Keyed drive shaft 36 passes through the gear boxes 32 and 34 and mounts a pulley 37 at the end thereof. Finally, a double screw member 42 passes through the gear boxes 32 and 34 and may be rotated by the wheel handle 48 for adjusting the distance between the gear boxes 32 and 34 and, therefore, the distance between the ring members 20 and 22.

The rings 20 and 22 are held against the driven rollers 24a, 26a, and 24b, 26b, respectively, by means of adjustment brackets 51a and 51b. Each bracket mounts idler wheels 50a and 52a and 50b and 52b, respectively. Adjustment screws 53a and 53b are provided for adjustment of the relative position of the brackets 51a and 51b, respectively, relative to the rings 20 and 22.

Each ring 20 and 22 includes a relatively circular cross-section with the exception of the inner surface thereof. The inner surface is V-shaped and includes flat faces 54a, 56a. Each ring 20 and 22 includes a diametrically extending hub member 58 and 60, respectively.

Ring includes a trailing arm 62a and a leading arm 63a while ring 22 mounts a similar trailing arm 62b and a leading arm 63b. The arms are made up of flat bars extending clear of and on the outside of the rings 20 and 22 and are pivoted centrally about stub shafts 68a and 68b, respectively, on the hub members 58 and 60. Trailing arms 62a and 62b mount idling trailing guide wheels 72a and 72b, respectively, while the leading arms 63a and 63b mount idling guide wheels 70a and 70b, respectively. In the present embodiment, the trailing arms 62a and 62b are at an outward obtuse angle to the leading arms 63a and 631; as shown in FIG. 2 so that a common outer tangent to both wheels 72a and 70a and 72b and 7012 will approximate a tangent to the rings.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the squeeze roller assembly is shown from one end and includes a journal bracket 74b mounting one end of a shaft 76 which is freely journalled therein. A roller 78 is fixedly mounted to the shaft 76. A pivot bracket 80b is pivoted to the journal bracket 74b. A shaft 84 is journalled at one end to a pivoting bracket 80b and extends therethrough and fixedly mounts a roller 86 and a sprocket 100. A piston and cylinder arrangement is provided between the pivoting bracket 80b and 74b for positive pivoting movement of the bracket 80b and, therefore, of the rollers 78 and 86.

A motor 88, including a sprocket 89, drives a chain 90 which in turn passes about a sprocket 98. The sprocket 98 is fixed to a common shaft with pulley 94 which in turn drives a rubber belt 96 which passes about the pulley 37. Another sprocket 92 is mounted on the common shaft with sprocket 98 and cooperates with a chain 99 to drive the sprocket 100.

In operation, a wet sometimes twisted tubular fabric F is taken from a supply, such as the container 18, and passed through the apparatus as shown with the leading guide wheels 70a and 70b engaging the inner surface of the fabric. The fabric is passed over the rings 20 and 22 as well as the trailing guide wheels 72a. and 72b, The driven rollers 24a, 26a, and 24b, 26b engage the outside of the fabric, moving it upwardly towards the squeeze rolls 16. The leading arms 63a and 63b which are integral with the trailing arms 62a and62b, pivot ,1

relative to the rings 20 and 22 moving inwardlywhen the fabric F is slightly snagged and causes the trailing,

wheels 72a and 72b to move outwardly and vice versa.

The leading arms 63a and 63b with their respective ing an upstanding frame, support means on the frame p including at least a pair of opposed driven rollers" spaced apart on a common plane, a pair of rings between the driven rollers in the common plane, means holding said rings in opposed relationship against said driven rollers, said holding means including, running means adapted to allow the rings to rotate about their respective centers upon rotation of said driven rollers, each ring including hub means, a leading arm and a trailing arm pivoted to said hub means, saidleading and trailing arms having a fixed angular relation therebetween, said arms extending from the hub and adapted to pivot in said plane relative to the center of said ring. 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said leading arm and trailing arm thereof are integral, and pivoted to said hub means and a guiding wheel at each end of said leading arm and trailing arm.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each ring is nested between two driven rollers. I

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3,,wherein the leading and trailing arms are at an obtuse angle toeach other and less than 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rings are of generally circular cross-section with a V- shaped inner portion providing two flat surfaces 3 adapted to receive the running means of the holding driving rollers. i 

1. An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics, including an upstanding frame, support means on the frame including at least a pair of opposed driven rollers spaced apart on a common plane, a pair of rings between the driven rollers in the common plane, means holding said rings in opposed relationship against said driven rollers, said holding means including running means adapted to allow the rings to rotate about their respective centers upon rotation of said driven rollers, each ring including hub means, a leading arm and a trailing arm pivoted to said hub means, said leading and trailing arms having a fixed angular relation therebetween, said arms extending from the hub and adapted to pivot in said plane relative to the center of said ring.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said leading arm and trailing arm thereof are integral, and pivoted to said hub means and a guiding wheel at each end of said leading arm and trailing arm.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each ring is nested between two driven rollers.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the leading and trailing arms are at an obtuse angle to each other and less than 180*.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the rings are of generally circular cross-section with a V-shaped inner portion providing tWo flat surfaces adapted to receive the running means of the holding means.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the running means includes wheels adapted to run on the flat surfaces of the rings to retain the rings against the driving rollers. 